1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to a new and improved apparatus and method for washing bottles. More particularly, the invention relates to washing bottles returned to a bottling works for refilling wherein while traversing a main washing station, a jet of water directed to wash the inside of the inverted bottle tends to overcome the weight of the bottle and move the bottle off its carrier. In accordance with the present invention a counterbalancing jet of water is directed from the top toward the bottom of the inverted bottle to maintain the bottle on the conveyor.
2. Description of Related Art
Large containers such as 6 gallon, 5 gallon or 3 gallon and metric equivalent water bottles, preparatory to filling are washed, sanitized and rinsed. At multiple stations, the exteriors of the containers are sprayed with warmed cleaning solution while a pressure jet of the same solution is directed through the open neck of the inverted container into the interior. With increasing lighter weights of containers, including the shift from glass to plastic and to smaller containers, there has been a corresponding shift to lower impact pressures and flow rate, to prevent containers from being lifted off the conveyor. Although the lower impact and flow result in a reduced likelihood that containers will be lifted off the conveyor, they also reduce the effectiveness of the washing. Additionally, new containers with complex features such as handles are being introduced to the market, which make the current low impact and flow less effective. Mechanical clamps of various types have been unreliable and costly in solving the problem because of wide variations in the size, shoulder profile, neck profile and height of the containers.
The present invention differs from prior apparatus and methods for retaining the containers on the conveyor by directing a downward fluid on the inverted bottom of the container which counterbalances the upward force of the upward jet which is directed through the open neck of the container.